A CHINESE EXPORT PORCELAIN AMERICAN MARKET PLATE FROM THE DEWITT CLINTON SERVICE CIRCA 1796-1810

Elinor Gordon, Villanova, Pennsylvania, 2003

There is expected minor wear to the gilding on the rim. There is a minor restored hair crack to the rim at 2 o'clock, a restored chip at 4 o'clock and a patch of firing discoloration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This plate is from a service made for DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828) and his wife Maria Franklin Clinton, whom he married in 1796. DeWitt Clinton is notable for his long political career, perhaps beginning with his service as a brigadier-general in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, and then proceeding through his terms in the New York State Senate (1798-1802) and the United States Senate (1802-03); his mayorship of New York City (1803-15); his candidacy for President of the United States, running unsuccessfully against James Madison in 1808; and his three terms as Governor of New York from 1817-1823 and then again from 1825 until his death. It was during his final term as Governor in 1825 that the Erie Canal was completed and opened, an event for which Clinton was significantly responsible and remembered in American history.

This dish is part of a large service, examples of which are in the Winterthur Museum. See J. McMudge, Chinese Export Porcelain for the American Trade, 1962, p. 155, ill. 118.